May 1, 2015 H&S Senate minutes
Present: Brendan Murday, Claire Gleitman, Jen Tennant, Sharon Stansfield, Dave Turkon, Jennifer Jolly,
Rebecca Plante, Matt Price, Paula Murray Cole, Kelley Sullivan
Absent: Hugh Egan, Matt Klemm (both on sabbatical), Wendy Dann, Maria DiFrancesco, Carla Stetson
Guest: Mike Richardson
Meeting started at 4:03pm
1) Minutes approved – 6 voted yes; 0 no; 2 abstentions
2) Announcements and updates
a. Executive committee – on agenda
b. Faculty Council – nothing to report
c. Elections – many terms expiring, there will be a second call for nominations, list will be
on resources
3) Peer Review of Teaching
a. Philosophy and Religion – vote to send to dean to approve. 8 voted yes; 0 no
b. Chemistry -- vote to send to dean to approve. 8 voted yes; 0 no
c. Computer Science -- vote to send to dean to approve. 8 voted yes; 0 no
d. Gerontology -- vote to send to dean to approve. 8 voted yes; 0 no
e. Have approved everything except for three departments or programs – Economics,
Jewish Studies, CSRE
4) Criteria for Full Professor
a. Theatre Arts – discussion of the “distinguished academic leadership” track: in practice it
is hard to make full professor on this track, so the department may want to clarify that
the standards for satisfying this track are stringent. Need to show evidence of
distinguished leadership. In addition, emphasizing the OR in “regional/national stature
or distinguished academic leadership” may be worthwhile. Send it back to the
department with these thoughts.
b. Mathematics – does serving on an editorial board show regional and national stature in
addition to counting as service? Yes. Acquiring the position shows stature, while
performing the role is the service. What does “Active membership” mean in standard f?
Leadership positions? After discussion, move to approve. 8 voted yes, 0 no.
c. Status Report: Recommended to approve English and Math. Sent Theatre back for
revisions. Modern Languages and Literatures has been received but not yet discussed
by the subcommittee. Physics is close to sending its criteria to the committee. Next
year, dean will remind the chairs to move this forward.
5) Part-time faculty thoughts – Questionnaire. Do adjuncts get observed? Clear policies? Ad hoc?
Captured in writing. ICC courses? Do departments make staffing plans with part-time positions
in them? Is there mentoring and if so, is it ad hoc or formalized? What is the position/status of
adjuncts – are they ABDs getting experience, or is this a career? Are part-time faculty in a
position to ask for what they want? Course load, timing, day? How many credits do part-time
faculty constitute for each department? By Fall, we will know whether or not there will be a
union.
6) New potential issues for next year
a. APC-Policy considering anonymity for student statements – Dara Engler, Kelley Sullivan,
and SGA president will meet on Wednesday.
b. Flexible faculty workload – revisiting the process to identify how it’s working. What is
the workload part and what is the flexible part? E.g. Can NTEN faculty have flexibility
while conducting independent studies?
c. Department policy review. Department processes for T&P. Faculty Council will vote
next year on whether or not chairs can double vote (as chair, and as member of
personnel committee).
d. Dean search.
e. H&S Building
7) Elections
a. President – Claire Gleitman
b. VP – Jen Tennant
c. Secretary – Brendan Murday
d. At large – Hugh Egan, Rebecca Plante
e. Parliamentarian – Matt Price
f. Faculty Council – Dave Turkon
g. Elections subcommittee – Sharon Stansfield, TBD
h. Peer Review of Teaching – Jennifer Jolly, TBD
i. Criteria for Full – Hugh Egan, 2 TBD (NS, Fine Arts, 1 full, both tenured)
8) Senate unanimously resolves to recognize the leadership of Dean Leslie Lewis and we thank her
for her support of the School of Humanities and Sciences from 2008 to 2015. 10 votes yes; 0 no
Adjourned: 5:50pm